1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of wagering games, wagering games with display of random outcome event generators and wagering games with three-dimensional displays of random event outcome generators in an auditorium or stage setting.
2. Background of the Art
Casinos provide many different gaming formats and many different game events. The various gaming events can be provided in various physical gaming table formats (e.g., roulette, blackjack, poker variants, craps, candy wheels and the like), electronic gaming table formats, electronic video gaming systems, and mixed electronic and physical gaming element formats (e.g., playing cards and electronic wagering, physical roulette wheels and player wagering terminals, player cast dice and electronic wagering terminals, mechanically cast dice and electronic wagering terminals). Except for the ability in video wagering systems to swap active gaming engines on a processor, each of these games require dedicated gaming tables and associated apparatus. This need for dedicated physical apparatus is expensive and requires large areas for placement of apparatus for a single game. The physical gaming systems are also quite limited in their appearance and have maintained a traditional look in spite of the availability of more modern technologies.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,172,400; and 8,177,368 (O'Connell) and U.S. Pat. No. 8,034,263 (Maass) describe systems and apparatus useful in three-dimensional staged productions. Included may be any of an image projection apparatus comprising: a first projection device arranged to generate a virtual three-dimensional image; a second projection device arranged to project a background image; and means to minimize transparency of the virtual image relative to the background image; wherein the first projection device comprises a projector, a frame, and an at least partially transparent screen: the frame being arranged to retain the screen under tension, such that the screen is inclined at an angle with respect to a plane of emission of light from the projector; the screen having a front surface arranged such that light emitted from the projector is reflected therefrom; and the projector being arranged to project an image such that light forming the image impinges upon the screen such that a virtual image is created from light reflected from the screen, the virtual image appearing to be located behind the screen. An image display apparatus, comprising: an image source, a mount, an at least partially transparent screen, and a pigmented reflective member, the mount being arranged to retain the screen under tension, such that the screen is inclined at an angle with respect to a plane of emission of light from the image source; the screen having a front surface arranged such that light emitted from the image source is reflected therefrom; and the image source being arranged to provide an image such that light forming the image impinges upon the screen such that a virtual image is created from light reflected from the screen, the virtual image appearing to be located behind the screen, the apparatus further comprising a stage, and a stage background, the screen being provided in front of the stage, wherein a plurality of light sources are arranged to illuminate at least part of at least one of the stage or stage background, and the pigmented reflective member being provided in an optical pathway between the image source and the screen and being operative to reflect only light from part of the visible spectrum such that the pigmented reflective member reduces a milky hue associated with light where there is no image to be presented surrounding a Pepper's Ghost image to compensate for variations in levels of unwanted light hitting the surface of the screen; wherein the screen is a polymeric transparent foil that is held taught and substantially wrinkle-free by the retention members, the retention members having generally parallel faces which clamp an edge region of the foil between them, and wherein individually variable foil tensioning mechanisms are provided at spaced apart locations around the periphery of the foil to enable the foil to have tensioning force independently varied at the said spaced apart locations around the periphery of the foil, and wherein the retention members are connected to one or more flexible tensioning means, which extend from the mount, the foil, flexible tensioning means and the mount lying in a common inclined plane, with the tension on the foil being applied in the plane of the flexible tensioning means and the foil; first and second of the retention members are provided to grip the screen, the retention members having respective openings therethrough arranged to collocate with openings in respective jaws of clamping members attached to tensioning straps; and the tensioning straps are attached to a truss arrangement are adjustable such that the tension of the screen within the truss arrangement can be varied about the periphery of the screen, and wherein the retention members are substantially parallel to truss members comprising the truss arrangement.
U.S. Published Patent Application Document No. 20110319152 (Ross) describes gaming devices, gaming systems, methods of conducting a wagering game, and computer programs for initiating a wagering game are presented herein. A gaming device is presented that includes a wager input device for receiving wagers from players to play a wagering game, and a display for displaying outcomes of the wagering game. The gaming device also includes a multi-layer composite lighting assembly with a first light-emitting layer, a second light-emitting layer, and a spacer. The first light-emitting layer emits light of a first color in a first direction, whereas the second light-emitting layer emits light of a second color in a second direction. The spacer, which is interposed between the first and second light-emitting layers, diffuses and focuses light emitted by the second light-emitting layer through the light emitted by the first light-emitting layer to thereby create a three-dimensional simulation of a component of the wagering game.
U.S. Published Patent Application Document No. 20110281628 (Sieka) describes an outcome of a dice throw and an orientation of the dice can be randomly determined. Based on knowledge of the outcome of the dice throw and the orientation of the dice, die faces that face the player at a beginning time instant of the animated motion can be back calculated. The dice can then be accordingly constrained to a selected one of a number of predefined animations for the dice to efficiently generate a more realistic and accurate graphical representation of the dice throw on the wagering game machine. Such a technique for generating the graphical representation of the dice throw based on 3D modeling and physics of the dice throw precludes managing and maintaining texture maps. Also, the graphical representation of the dice throw can be presented without texture swapping and with less computation because the pre-modeled dice are constrained to the selected animation of the dice.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,922,589 describes electronic game tables with multifunction legs are described. In one implementation, an electronic multiplayer game table includes a tabletop with player stations for an electronic betting game. Multifunction legs physically support the periphery of the tabletop, while electronic components for playing the betting game are mounted in the multifunction legs. For example, a multifunction leg may contain multiple currency detectors and coinless slot machine-style ticket printers/readers, so that each player at the game table has an exclusive currency detector and an exclusive ticket printer in close proximity. The multifunction legs may also include magnetic or smart card readers for transferring player, banking, and monetary information. In a variation, central control components of the electronic game table are also mounted in the legs. The multifunction legs can eliminate the need for a central support pedestal. This enables efficient under-table cooling schemas and other innovations, such as under-table lighting and a central tabletop holograph space.
Published US patent Application Document No. 20090109175 describes a system for a 3 dimensional (3-D) user interface comprises: one or more 3-D projectors configured to display an image at a first location in a 3-D coordinate system; one or more sensors configured to sense user interaction with the image and to provide user interaction information; and a processor configured (i) to receive the user interaction information from the one or more sensors; (ii) to correlate the user interaction with the image; and (iii) to provide one or more indications responsive to a correlation of the user interaction with the image, wherein the one or more indications comprise displaying the image at a second location in the 3-D coordinate system. A method for providing a 3-D user interface comprises: generating an image at a first location in a 3-D coordinate system; sensing user interaction with the image; correlating the user interaction with the image; and providing one or more indications responsive to a correlation of the user interaction with the image, wherein the one or more indications comprise displaying the image at a second location in the 3-D coordinate system. Computer readable program codes related to the system and the method of the present invention are also described herein.
All references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to provide enabling disclosure of technical aspects used in the practice of the present technology.